The present invention relates generally to shirred casing articles of the type wherein a length of shirred casing is carried on a tubular core member. More particularly, the invention relates to the core for such an article including means on the core for restraining an end of the casing with respect to the core member.
Shirred tubular casings are well known in the art. Such casings are extensively used in food processing to make a variety of sausage type products and in the packaging of larger food products, such as cooked and smoked hams and the like.
Briefly, during the shirring process, relatively long lengths of casing are shirred, by any one of several conventional techniques, to produce a relatively short, tubular strand or "stick" of shirred casing. Still further length reduction may be accomplished by subjecting the shirred casing to an axial compaction force. Depending on the size and length of the casing, the force applied to compact a shirred casing may exceed 1000 pounds or more.
The end result is that it is not uncommon for the final length of the shirred casing to be only about 1% of the length of the unshirred casing. That is, a one foot stick of shirred casing may contain 70 to 100, or more, feet of casing.
One drawback of these highly compact shirred casings sticks, is that the stick is resilient. It will begin to grow or elongate as soon as the compaction force is released. This growth is most rapid immediately after the stick is formed, and gradually diminishes over a period of time. Accordingly, this growth may continue for at least part of the time that the stick is being held in stock and prior to use.
This resiliency, and tendency of the stick to grow after compaction, is vexing, because a stick must be compacted to a shorter length in order to accommodate the expected longitudinal growth. Growth also has the effect of reducing the pack ratio of the stick.
Various methods have been tried, and are presently employed, to counteract the resiliency of shirred casing sticks. These include, for example, adjustments in compacting methods, and use of various capturing means for resisting stick growth.
The use of a tubular member or core in connection with shirred casing is also known. For example, the core can function merely as a carrier for the casing wherein the casing is transferred from this carrier to the stuffing horn for use. As an alternative, the core can function as a stuffing horn or as a sleeve which is fitted over the stuffing horn wherein the core, with its supply of casing, is mounted to the stuffing machine.
In a copending application of Mahoney et al., Ser. No. 363,851, filed Apr. 5, 1982, a use of the core is disclosed wherein the shirred casing is so highly compacted about the core, that there is a tight frictional engagement between the core and casing. This engagement results from the inward expansion of the compacted casing against the core. Provided the core is strong enough to resist the forces exerted by the highly compacted casing, the cored casing article as disclosed in said Mahoney et al. application will exhibit a higher than conventional pack ratio. However, the ends of the casing are still free to expand along the core. One object of the present invention is to provide means to resist such expansion.
In cored casing articles wherein the casing is highly compacted and in tight frictional engagement about the core it is most convenient to mount the core to the stuffing machine for use as a stuffing horn or as a sleeve fitted over the stuffing horn. However, in spite of the tight frictional engagement between the core and casing, there is a tendency for the ends of the casing to grow or expand longitudinally along the core while the article is in storage. It is important that such growth, particularly in an aft direction be restricted as much as possible, prior to use. Otherwise, the expanded casing may interfere with the attachment of the core aft end to the stuffing machine. Thus, while it is desirable to put the longest stick possible onto a core of a given length, it is important also to keep the end of the stick a safe distance away from the aft end of the core.
Washers or the like can be applied to the core after the casing has been loaded, but this adds steps to the manufacturing sequence. Accordingly, a desirable feature is to provide a restraint for the end of the casing, as described above, without otherwise interfering with the loading of the casing onto the core or unduly complicating or prolonging the manufacturing of the cored article.
The present invention provides a restraining means integral the core which, not only is effective to restrain the longitudinal growth of the casing end but which also allows the casing to be loaded onto the core over the restraining means.